CSEC2007
Brazil BR
A man from Georgia in the United States, was accused of trafficking young women/offering sex with underage girls to customers paying to go on his fishing tours of the Amazon basin. His ex-wife was president of the fishing operation. The boat was described as a high-end river cruiser popular with wealthy American fishers. The four Brazilian plaintiffs (one was aged 12 at time of exploitation) reported that the man used a combination of promises, alcohol, and drugs to lure them onto the fishing boat. Once aboard, they were coerced into performing sexual acts with the man and his customers. Brazilian prosecutors state that there is both photographic and video evidence including “numerous images of Brazilian women in sexual poses within the vessels and in the company of foreign tourists.” It is described that the man used his agents and employees to recruit customers in the US to engage in such ‘sex tourism’. Court documents from Brazil and the US suggest that customers included members of a group that are currently under investigation for human trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism. The man from Georgia sent his employees into the local community, and nightclubs along the Amazon to recruit young girls. In return, they were reported to have been paid a ‘modest’ sum of money. One report states: “The case is noteworthy because it is the first time that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) will be used by alleged victims of trafficking to seek damages from a sex tour operation.” An example of the court transcript can be viewed here: http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/_news/2011/04/30/6562102-brazil-prosecutes-schair-co-for-running-house-of-prostitution A YouTube newscast showing the girls being interviewed, as well as footage of the boat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aENcxcxC2gk&feature=player_embedded
Forced Labor2011
Brazil BR
Original source translated using googletranslate.com: 6 workers were rescued from a farm in Claudia, Mato Grosso. The workers had been hired informally for approx. 2 months, and were promised $25 per hectare of land cleared for cattle grazing. The accommodation consisted of two canvas tents and mattresses. The employer did not provide transport from the accommodation to the farm. Food was prepared in a wood stove which had been made by the workers. The workers drank water from a stream which did not pass through any filtering system. There were also no toilet facilities. It was also reported that pesticides were exposed in an open shed which was less than 30 meters from the housing.
Sex Trafficking2010
Brazil BR
Original source translated using googletranslate.com: 20 women and 4 men were found in ‘degrading conditions’ and subjected to ‘exhaustive days’ described as similar to slavery (according to art. 149 of the Penal Code). They were held in sexual exploitation and debt bondage at a nightclub in the “Zero KM” region of Mato Grosso. All the survivors were between 18 and 23 years old. They did not receive the paid weekly rest required by law, and their salary was paid in “chips” which could be exchanged for overpriced products from the store in the club. Some workers had signed contracts which meant that they could not leave the premises until their debt had been paid. The women lived in overcrowded conditions with poor ventilation and fire protection. The sanitary conditions were inadequate and did not comply with hygiene standards.